Online Social Networks for Employment

Contents

Why Use Online Social Networks?

Introduction

What can social media do for you?

Lead to information on job openings not yet advertised

Showcase your abilities to potential employers

Help you expand your network

Online social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are important tools for your job search. Social media can help you connect with employers or find out about job opportunities. They also let you highlight your education, experience and talents.

According to a recent survey by Career Builder, 43% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates. As such, it is important to make sure your social networking activities help, rather than work against, your job search. Make sure any profiles you write are free of typos, the information is positive and clearly written, and your photos present you in a favourable light.

Online Social Networking Tools

Employers are increasingly using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool, so building your LinkedIn profile is worthwhile!

LinkedIn is the professional equivalent of Facebook. You can use it to connect to millions of professionals who use the site to recruit employees, find jobs, participate in online communities, and share expertise. To access LinkedIn, you must first create a profile.

To get the greatest value from LinkedIn, you should:

Make your profile publicly accessible, so employers will see what you would like them to see when they search for you on Google

Use relevant key words in your profile, so that recruiters and other professionals will be able to find you more easily

Join professional, networking and alumni groups

Search for people—not just to research people you plan to meet, but also to search for skills, areas of expertise and training that help people in your field get ahead

Search for and follow organizations—find the names of people to contact for information interviews, identify the titles of positions you’d like to apply for, and more

Let contacts know that you are in the job market, and specify the skills you have to offer

Meetup is the world’s largest network of local groups. Many of these groups are based on professional networks. You can search the Vancouver site for groups with similar career interests (ie: “Information Technology”) or experiences (ie: “newcomers”)

Online Discussion Groups

Online discussion groups can also be useful job search tools. Taking part in discussion groups allows you to showcase your knowledge and connect with others in your field, including potential employers.